Majd Al Sultan

TL;DR: spectacular incense and resins, with some smoke for the first 90 minutes, perfect for incense lovers, and £19 delivered. A complete steal. Remarkable. ********************************** I dropped and smashed the bottle containing the last 10ml of Gucci Pour Homme 1 (Almairac). When I was released from the National Recovery Centre for the Over-Dramatic, I went on a bit of a pilgrimage to look for something that wasn't just a copy of GPH (Bentley, Papyrus will do that), but which took some of that and showed me other incense voyages I could go on. Enter Majd al Sultan. Wow. I didn't instantly like/love it, but I stayed in conversation with it. The payoff has been remarkable. It opens sweet - and that's a note/theme I genuinely hate in scents of the last 20-odd years. However, that goes in about 15 seconds, and it becomes dry. It's also oud free. Halle-f&^%ing-lujah. No sweetness, no oud! And from a Middle Eastern scent! Fragrantica's notes that members can vote for are often complete guff (for example, you can't vote for vetiver in Roger and Gallet's Vetyver, and yet you are allowed to vote for pebbles in CK2. Pebbles, FFS). However, here they're spot on. The first five 'I can smell this in the scent' notes that Fragranticans have voted for contain three resins (myrrh, 'resins' and amber), and two types of smoke (incense and smoke). Yup. That is completely accurate. For incense lovers, this scent is really, genuinely interesting and engaging. It's not quite 'churchy' like Heeley/Cardinal or Comme des/Avignon, but it's on the brink of that (while being quite unique). It's also very dynamic. Black pepper dances around in the background, moving in and out of camera-shot. There is a tobacco aspect, but that blends into smoke too. It flits about, like the pepper. The pine/fir... well, if about 20 people below me claim it's there, I'm not going to say it isn't...but it's subtle. In fact, I think I might like it more if it were stronger. It's not 'like' Gucci Pour Homme 1, but it is a ticket to a similarly fantastic journey. [Breaks out into, 'A Whole New World,' from Aladdin...] Finally, it brings some wood in the deep dry down. Some people below say, 'don't blind buy.' But this is idiotic. First, where are you going to test a £19 Middle Eastern scent? Second, this is very obviously a straight-up-and-down incense, resin, smokey delight, and you can get 100ml delivered to your door for £19. Why on earth are you even contemplating buying this, if you don't like myrrh, resins, incense, smoke? It's silly to buy it, get exactly what you paid (remarkably little) for, and then start with complaints. Incense lovers, go for it. It's £19, and gets compared to several expensive 'niche' incense/smoke scents in the comments below. That's the league it's playing in. So... give it a shot. The bottle is covered in velvet. Gross. Faux luxe. But then, it comes from the land of bling, the veritable Heimat of the nouveau riche, so maybe we should just shut the F up about it, and respect difference.

Majd al Sultan makes an unforgettable intense first impression: a smoky pipe tobacco scent, combined with the sharpness of black peppercorns and herbal dryness, while a fireplace crackles softly in the background. However, this bold introduction is short-lived. There is a swift transformation into something far smoother — becoming buttery, warm, and ultimately, quite comforting. The dry down is exceptionally creamy — sweet yet dark; fresh yet hazy. It exudes depth and richness, with a syrupy, almost balsamic quality. The scent evokes sawn wood resinous notes from conifer trees, paired with ambery vanilla, striking a luxurious balance of richness. Majd al Sultan is a completely unisex fragrance, maintaining a spicy, peppery, and smooth tone throughout its longevity. In my opinion, it definitely does not have the ecclesial sentiment some people mentioned; instead, it features a sweet incense vibe, not the church-like kind — there's no religious undertone here. This scent has an ability to evoke sensory memories, feelings of being in an ancient, mysterious place, or perhaps an antique shop, and even stirs associations with Christmas holiday warmth. At times, it recalls the atmosphere of a heated Finnish sauna, bottled and ready to be experienced at any moment. Despite being impressively blended, creating a polished and pleasant experience, the fragrance remains somewhat linear. Although, it's a budget-friendly scent that could easily pass for something far, far more expensive. This fragrance is incredibly strong and long-lasting, yet it manages to avoid overwhelming the senses due to its elegant dry down. The bottle, with its comically gaudy design, adds a special touch. Its velvety texture is unlike anything I've seen before, and I find this quirky charm appealing. It complements the scent's personality. For fans of this smoky-sweet-spicy scent family from Lattafa, it is denser and more intense than Ameer al Oudh Intense Oud, less animalic than Oudain, and less woody than Raghba Wood Intense. Overall, this is a must-have for those who appreciate this type of fragrance DNA. Its strong yet smooth character, combined with its long-lasting power and unique scent profile, makes it a standout option in any collection. Opening note: 8 Sillage/Projection: 9- Dry down: 9- Longevity: 9+ Blend/Composition: 9+ Versatility: 7 Uniqueness: 8+ Value for money: 9 Bottle design/Aesthetics: 8 Overall experience: 8+ Blind-buy rating: 4

This definitely will not be for people who don't usually venture out into different scents. I like weird and wild scents and this goes there for me in a good comforting way. I got this one quite a while ago, maybe 6 months. I sprayed some in the box and let it sit. I also wrist tested it but didn't really make up an opinion about it from that. I can just say I smelled things shooting it in the box that were worrisome. Rubber for one (that doesn't seem to come out on my skin) and basement fire sale vibes ...that "it's been in a fire" note. I'm about an hour into wearing this . Its close to christmas and cold so I was wearing my winter coat in to work and could smell the smokiness coming from under my scarf. The notes are pretty much like the note graph above to me right now. Smoky Woody Spicy Warm Amber sweet that doesn't dominate on me. a maybe almost cinnamon note? A very tiger balm type linament note that fades away quickly in the dry down. I'm really glad that my first middle eastern type scent is a very pleasant one for me. I actually just changed my LIKE to LOVE vote on this while huffing it on me and writing this review. I think this is a very rich and thicker type scent. Wearing this every day for me would be too much but it is very relaxing...oddly like being by a firepplace in some ways. Pardon the cliche relation to a known perfume that I have never smelled. The woody spiciness is very nice. It's definitely smoky and sweet. Very very pleasantly middle eastern. I don't usually talk about packaging but the velvet box and bottle are over the top, but when you think about it the scent itself is a velvety comforting scent so a possible theme comes out of it. Buy with caution and awareness that this is different. Clearly by the votes it is much loved and I understand why personally. A real deal cheapie. Worth more than the price. I have worn this more than a few times now and I have to say it gives a bit of a holiday season vibe and would probably sit well with the tobacco vanille wearers. (I personally don't like TV but I find it similar to this for some odd reason)

OK, let me dig into this review! This is my first middle eastern cheapie and it will NOT be my last. The quality and pay off of this scent is phenomenal! I love wood scents, they're my fav and what I gravitate towards. After buying this I feel like selling my Ebene Fume...Majd Al Sultan is more elegantly blended, projects better, and is all around more enjoyable. Majd Al Sultan is woody and smooth with a touch of sweetness; it's balanced impeccably well. If you compare this to Dime Dans les Bois that scent has a sugary sweetness that overpowers the whole profile. Ebene Fume is rich, it's woody, but I always felt like something was missing, like it wasn't quite perfect. It has a strange undertone (some people describe that typical TF smell...) but THIS ONE RIGHT HERE is the winner for me. SO smooth and elegant. It really smells like a fresh cut cedar tree in the best possible way. Like your fantasy dream of the scent of a golden cedar tree. NOW I know this doesn't literally have a cedar note, I'm just picking the most majestic evergreen tree I know of. Anyhow, it's gorgeous. As soon as I opened the perfume I cleared the sprayer by spraying into the open box. Then I sprayed once on my chest and was careful not to keep spraying even though I loved the smell right off the bat. I was getting wifs all evening and LOVING it! It's long lasting and stays consistently strong on the skin. As a serious lover of wood notes, this is signature scent worthy to me. What can I say! My dad was a logger so I grew up smelling fresh cut timber and wood chips haha. If you are like me and sweet, smoky, wood scents please you, order this. It's only $30! Amazing, I am very happy. *By the way, I dislike vanilla and I'm glad I don't get any in Majd Al Sultan. Update 6/18/23 this really smells like a balsam fir log in the campfire, the end of the log in indirect heat and the resins are bubbling to the surface. also I DO get vanilla now but it's blended to perfection.

I can see why some compare this with MMM By the Fireplace but whereas I absolutely HATED the MMM, this is absolutely stunning. By the Fireplace is like someone poured sticky molasses all over a fire and the syrup is burning now. It’s quite two dimensional, too sweet, way in your face, and I personally found it unbearable. It’s also not surprising that it’s sold in Sephoras- it’s not terribly unique or sophisticated. But, this stuff is so amazing. I'm no snob so I've tried my share of cheapies and usually they are disappointing. They are generally watered down, uninteresting, or smells flat because of cutting corners with ingredients, etc. So, when I started seeing some really interesting reviews on Youtube about these cheapie middle eastern perfumes, I was skeptical. I've so far tried Shaghaf Oud, Oud Aswad, Sheikh Al Shuyuk, and now this one. Unbelievably, they are all so good and so impressive. This one especially. Like one of the reviewers said this straight up smells like a Tom Ford or, more likely, a Serge Luten. I've been looking for a great conifer scent and really love Fille en Aiguilles (FEA) but it's impossible to find at a reasonable price. Majd al Sultan is not a dupe in any way, but it scratches the conifer itch and MORE! I actually prefer this to FEA. In addition, this is so unique. It's deeper, more projection, and more interesting. The combination of incense, myrrh, conifers, smoke, and tobacco is absolutely intoxicating and so incredibly classy. It smells niche and I'm amazed that this is under $40. Great for layering too. As for projection, compared to other middle eastern scents, this one is not a beast. It's average in projection and sillage. 100% unisex. Highly recommend.